Shock-absorber.



o. D; SWORD. .SHOCK ABSORBBB. APPLioAToN FILED 33.15, 1910.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

fluor/swat 3513 M14/ul STA banaan. Y noivn "that -vI, CHARLES n. bi the United States, re-

' "l ork, in the' `courifty'of-New f NGW York, have invented ulk Improvements in Shockthe following is'a relates to improvements fin for' vehicles, 4cliietly for thas for its object to profh shall of simple conl inf action and 'easily 'applied iidar'd' forked knuckle-'ends of csivithout change or alteraindin the axles or in their le endsj'llhis':desirable feature is i strnction, cjuick y her sta irene eredfpossi, le the novel `niannerfol `disposing` ,tl1'e"`,shock "absorbers outside the knuckle ends 'of the axle inv either .,L-l'tl a vertical "verse rela-tion thereto. As lthus ,thefs ook absorbers are interposed tiofibetweenthe body springs of `ll""'be-,so;minimized and destroyed by the l hook absorl'gersvftliat 'ltnullnot .be 1m- 354 ,parted ,to .the` body .of the vehicle and hence y the I latter steadily and Without vibration. i

,'lheeinvention has also for its object the ,dispositionotthe rshock absorbers in rela- 40 -tion to the body springsof thevehicle' in such manner that the resiliency of the frmer,'beii1`g"n1ore sensitive, 'will absorb the ordinary shocks and jolts incident to travel, While thebody springs. being relaftively stronger orstiifer' and therefore less rapid and sensitive inv .their operation, will take their part in absorbing the morey serious shocks and jolts. Y

In the accompanying drawings :--Figure 1- is a front view ot'. an automobile provided with one forn'rot the invention combined with ne front axle, the spring shock ab* sorber being shown in a state of partial compression; Fig. 2, a sectional view thereo't'; Fig. 3, a sectional view of a different' or modified formofthe organization shown in stringenti" orrion.

.ii-cle andl'the T[vheels or ground, so

rtg. 1; and, rig., 4, a plan fiew fthe "inventionshoivn in E-igx.. l

"Like reference iiaracters are used to designate the same parts in allthe figures. y

. In Figs. l and of the drawing, the

`reference numeral l indicates thebody of an automobile, and 2 the front axle thereof on which are fastened, in any suitable manner, body springs which Imay be of any Well known or usual type employed forthis purpose. The ends of 'the axleA are each formed with a forked knuckle end 4 such as are at present vin use. Each knuckleend 4- of the axle has 'pivoted thereon by. means ot af bolt 6 a forked steering knuckle 5 carrying the usual lWheel spindle 5*L and jmovable longitudinally of the bolt.. lThe bolt 6 whichV forms the pivot of the two knuckle oints projects belen/'the kunckle'id'o't the axle and isntherepr'ovded With a nut and ,Washer 9 screwed bn said bolt to k.bear

against the underside of thelnuckle end.-v The opposite end ot the bolt projectsup- Wardly through and beyond the upper forks of theaxle and steering-knuckle, and vconstitutes apost 6a, which post has operative conmection with the axle by the bolt` 6 and nut 9. lUpon this post, outside the forked ends ot the axle, is'arranged aeoiled compression spring shock-.absorber 7, which at one end bears against the upper jaw ofthe lsteering-knuckle and at. its v opposite end,

against ari-adjustable abutment. S, shown as a nut. The nut 8 1s adjustable on the post 6Ll for the purpose of positioning the vetri-- cle-axle in alineinent with the Wheel-spindle 5, which is accomplished thro-ugh the Ine-5 duim-of tbe .bolt Giand nut 9.

yFreni the foregoing, it will be clearly seen that the steering knuckles are yieldingly connected with the axle, and as the jaws of the steering knucklesv are separated from 'each otherI a greater distance than the height of tbe knuckleends of the axles, it follows that-there will: be vertical play between vthe steering knuckles and the axle, which play is resisted, yieldinvly, by the springs 2' indirectly interposed between the axle and the ground outside the knuckle ends, so that the Wheels move with relation to the axle in traveling over unevenl ground, and the movement is absorbed by the springs. The axle` and the vehicle body separated thereby remain steady, and receive no shock or jolt. The springs 7 may be of any desired strength to do all the Work necilo 'essary. for shock absorption, or may be calculated to do `this to a predetermined degree only, in which latter event the ordi- .jnary body springsj3 come into play after 'the springs 7, the movement ofthe wheels bing transmitted -to saidsprings 3 through the bolts- 6 and the axle 2, and absorbed bysaid body springs.

1ok ,springs 7 and the parts ycoperating there- For the sake of appearance' and to preventV .dust 'and dirt from gathering on the zw'i'th, these parts are inclosed ina housing p protected or covered by a cap 8a, which .ar-Fig; 2.

fromfchoice is made removable, as shown Figs. 3"a'nd 4 vshow amodiied form of usual. In this modified construction the sions through which the'posts 13 project. 4The posts 13 are operatively connected to the. axle bymean's of the plate 14 and bolt 11, Upon these posts and bearing at one i' .end against the lateral extensions of the j', steering knuckle and at. their other ends 301' against the adjustable abutments ork nuts 8, are coiled compression springs 12. The

foperation of this constructionof shock ab- 'is'orber is the same as that /described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2f. j

` The shock absorbers in the modified form i' .--lof thedevi-ceare,'as in the preferred form, 1 outside the kunckle ends of the axle, but on l"opposite lateral sides of said knuckle ends.

In both forms of invention shown the 240. @predetermined degree of compression in lsprings 7 and 12 will normally be under a "order that depressions, as well as eleval-tions of the surface traveled over, will be compensated for;

From whatfhas been previously said, it is clear .'that)either steeringl` knuckle here dev scribed,pin vcombination with the -shock abf-'.mobi1e'axles Without changing'their shape orf substituting new knuckle ends. It is Isorbing-spring or springs placed outside .tliaf knuckle end of the axle form a structure which may readily Lbe applied on autoonly necessary lto remove thel steering knuckles lby withdrawing-the pivot bolts,

then substitute either form of steering knuckles heretofore described, insert the proper bolts and springs and finally screw up the fastening nuts on said bolts. Afterward, place the wheels on the new steering knuckles and the vehicle is ready for use.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim-as new is:

1. In a spring wheel-suspension for vehicles having an axle with forked ends, a swivel-bolt passing through each of the forked ends of the axle, steering-knuckles provided with wheel-spindles swiveled and bodily movable upon said bolts, posts located outside the forked ends of the axle and having operative connection with the axle, and coiled springs arranged upon said posts and bearing at one end against the steering-knuckle and at their opposite ends against abutments carried by the posts.

2. In a spring wheel-suspension for vehicles having an axle with forked ends, a swivel-bolt passing through eachk of the forked ends of the axle, steering knuckles provided with wheel-spindles swiveled and bodily movable upon said bolts, posts located outside the forked ends of the axle, and having operative connection with the axle, and coiled springs arranged upon said posts and bearing at one end against the steering-knuckle and at their opposite ends against adjustable abutments ,carried by the posts. j.

3. In a spring wheel-suspension for vehicles having an axle with forked ends, a swivel-bolt passing through each of the forked ends of the axle, said bolts having projecting ends constituting pests, steeringknuckles provided -.with Wheel-spindles swiveled and bodily movable on said bolts, and coiled springs arranged on the projecting ends of the bolts outside the forked ends of the axley and bearing at one end against the steering-knuckles and at their opposite ends against abutments on the posts.

CHARLES DURM SWORD.

Witnesses A ARTHUR L. BRYANT, GEO. W. REA. 

